Current Issues in Connection with Reductions in Force (RIFs) & RIF LitigationReductions in force (RIFs) are causing millions of employees to lose their jobs and have had a devastating effect upon our economy. In addition, businesses often face litigation fallout after a downsizing takes place. This program will explore current issues faced by employers and employees in connection with RIFs including: how RIF decisions are made, avoidance of disparate impact discrimination, the use and negotiation of separation agreements, RIF statistics, and litigation fallout. The program will review the effect of the United States Supreme Court’s recent New Haven firefighter’s decision, Ricci vs. DeStefano, on disparate impact analyses. Who should attend? Federal and state practitioners interested in counseling clients on appropriate RIF procedures, negotiation of separation packages, and litigation of RIF-related claims.

Employment Law Essentials: What New York Practitioners Need to Know About Leaves of Absence, Overtime, Retaliation & More…. (8.3.10)Whether you are a general practitioner, an in-house generalist, or a full time employment lawyer, you should not miss this practical survey of the latest developments in employment law. Four core areas of that are rife with traps for unwary New York lawyers will be covered: parental and medical leaves; minimum wage and overtime rules; and whistleblowing and retaliation. The faculty, some of the New York’s top employment law practitioners, will give you essential tips about sometimes thorny issues that cannot be ignored.

Privacy Issues in the Workplace: Social Networking, Data Security & More (6.14.10)Social networking and data security issues have created a morass of legal and human resources issues for clients. This program will explore current issues that are impacting both employers and employees including: an employer’s right to monitor and access electronic communications of employees, data breach response, regulation of “off-duty” conduct and related ethics issues. This program will review the impact of decisions such as Quon v. Arch Wireless and Stengart v. Lovingcare. Who should attend? Federal and state practitioners, human resources executives, employees and others who are interested in these emerging privacy issues that are impacting the workplace.

Termination of an Employee: Avoiding Litigation (1.27.10)When terminating an employee, what can an employer do to avoid litigation (or at least reduce its risks)? This panel will include defense, plaintiff, and in-house employment lawyers as well as a human resources executive. It will explain the procedures that should be followed in terminating employees and drafting separation agreements and explore special considerations for reductions in force and the various claims available to terminated employees. A particular focal point will be steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of successful retaliation claims.

This program is a must for employment lawyers, litigation attorneys, in-house counsel, mediators and arbitrators, human resource personnel, and managers.

Ethics in Employment Law (Original Live Program Date: 8/7/07)In the constantly evolving area of employment law, practitioners routinely face a number of ethical questions. This interactive seminar will address some of the ethical issues that can arise in employment litigation. Through the use of several hypotheticals, a panel of experts will examine issues related to: attorney contact with represented parties (the no-contact rule); dealing with the press; surveillance and investigations; and confidentiality and settlement agreements.
This program provides 2.0 credits in ethics

How To Avoid The Ethical & Fiduciary Pitfalls of Lateral Hiring (Original Live Program Date: 11/2/09)For both law firms trying to attract laterals and lawyers trying to move to a new firm, there are a large number of ethical and fiduciary issues that are easy to miss. At this seminar, the panelists, using video vignettes, will discuss how to manage the lateral hiring process to avoid these potential problems. Among other things, the program will explore when and what clients can be told, what information can be shared with the potential new firm, what to cover when performing conflicts checks, and the issues that arise when hiring a group of lawyers.

Mental Disabilities In The Workplace: Reasonable Accommodations and Strategies for Avoiding, Pursuing and Defending Litigation (Original Live Program Date: 10/27/08)The Americans with Disabilities Act and New York anti-discrimination laws afford mental and physical disabilities equal protection in the workplace. While physical impairments previously have received the lion's share of attention, employees are more frequently disclosing mental impairments and requesting accommodations. They also are submitting a growing number of mental disability discrimination charges to government agencies such as the EEOC. Join representatives of the plaintiffs' bar, defense bar, and an accommodations expert in discussing the common issues and delicate problems that confront employees and employers contending with mental disabilities in the workplace. Topics will include: protected vs. unprotected mental disabilities, reasonable and unreasonable accommodations, misconduct issues and direct threat, strategies for pursuing and defending against mental disability discrimination claims, and how to deal with the psychiatrist (including the use and misuse of mental health professionals) before and after litigation commences.

Termination of an Employee: Avoiding Litigation (Original Live Program Date: 6/24/09)When terminating an employee, what can an employer do to avoid litigation (or at least reduce its risks)? This panel will include employment lawyers (defense, plaintiff and in-house) as well as a human resources executive. It will explore the procedures that should be followed in terminating employees, separation agreements, special considerations for reductions in force and the various claims available to terminated employees. A particular focal point will be steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of a successful retaliation claim. This program is a must for employment lawyers, litigation attorneys, in-house counsel, mediators and arbitrators, human resource personnel and managers.